Creative Support for Organizations-Round 1

Ross Anderson is a musician from southwest Minnesota. He performs on clarinet and saxophone with a jazz duo, the Route 68 big band, and is principal clarinet with the Southwest Minnesota Orchestra. He has served as a grant review panelist for the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council. He received a grant from SMAC in 2013 when he created a CD recording, and another grant in 2006. Anderson is an adjunct instructor of jazz improv at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall. Anderson attended the University of Chicago Laboratory School, where he learned the basics of jazz improvisation. He has a BA from the University of Minnesota in history.; Amy Cousin: Cousin is a jewelry artist whose work revives surplus or discarded items and recycled precious metals, juxtaposed with gemstones associated with healing properties. Before focusing on wearable art, Cousin owned and operated a brick and mortar book, gift, and art boutique in both Minnesota and South Carolina. Previously, she served as a senior community health worker for the Hennepin County Healthcare for the Homeless project. Cousin also was a consultant to the Women?s Bureau of the United States Department of Labor during the development of the Work and Family Clearinghouse. Cousin has a BA from Tulane University (New Orleans, LA) in communication.; Hannah Gary currently works with the Metropolitan Council managing the Livable Communities Demonstration Account grant program. She has also served on the Minneapolis Arts Commission for the past two years. Gary has a background in urban planning and public health with experience in public art and arts based community engagement. Gary is originally from Atlanta, GA, and has been living in Minneapolis for the past six years.; Cherie Hamilton: Hamilton holds an MFA in creative writing, fiction, and writing for children and young adults from the University of Illinois (Champaign-Urbana, IL). She has a MA in art education and a BA in fiber arts from Western Washington University (Bellingham, WA), Fairhaven College (Bellingham, WA), and the University of Minnesota, College of Design. She works as a teacher at the college level as well as teaching art and writing to youth. Hamilton encourages writers to tell their stories and give voice to their experiences.; Melissa Higgs Kohler: Higgs is a poet and science fair director who previously taught at The Loft and the University of Illinois (Springfield, IL), and served as president of the Vachel Lindsay Association, a small arts nonprofit. She has published three chapbooks of poetry and received second prize in the Basil Bunting Poetry Competition in 2017. Her reviews and interviews can be found at The Poetry Foundation, the Adroit Journal, and Kenyon Review Online. She received her MFA in creative writing from Hamline University in 2002.; Jean Louis: Jean is an avid supporter of the arts in central Minnesota, serving on a Fine Arts Council to support sound and lighting needs for the Performing Arts Center in the local high school, working as Stage Manager for an annual Talent Showcase, and writing grants for the schools and community theatre groups. With a degree in Music Education, she accompanies musical theatre productions, and plays for services in multiple churches, as well as playing for weddings, a dinner theatre, and other events. She volunteers in a nearby school district to play for choir concerts. Composing mass settings and reviewing grants are her latest endeavors in the world of the arts.; David Marty is retired from a career in arts administration, and currently serves on the Grand Rapids school board. He holds a bachelor?s degree in communications, with additional arts training including a fellowship in arts administration at the National Endowment for the Arts. He is an experienced arts presenter with extensive awards and has served on various arts and community boards. He has presented and consulted often for national and regional arts gatherings. He was an officer for the Minnesota Presenters Network and the Minnesota Citizens for the Arts. Marty has also directed and acted in local theater productions.; Luke Rassmussen is an art hobbyist, art lover, and employed as a professional project manager. He helps with trouble shooting; clear, precise communication; meeting budgets; and meeting partner goals within budgets. Rassmussen excels in working with partners on achieving their goals and communicating their message while also being cognizant of budget realities. He is currently excited to get more involved with his local community.; Amy Rea is a freelance writer and editor who was also the recipient of a 2018 Artist Initiative grant. She has been published in several journals with both poetry and fiction. In addition, over the years she worked both as an employee and as a contractor for several nonprofits. She is a volunteer board member for the Professional Editors Network and a social media volunteer for Homeward Bound Rescue.; Lara Rodriguez is the author of THRESHOLES (Coffee House Press, 2020). She holds a PhD in English. She is a senior editor of Triple Canopy. She was born in the Bronx.